Hartlepool United eye Hearts defender – as Sunderland youngster is lined up too

Hartlepool United are eyeing a move for former Juventus target Jordan McGhee.

Hearts defender McGhee, who spent the back end of last season on loan at Middlesbrough, is a player who is interesting manager Craig Harrison.

Harrison is desperate for reinforcements after receiving the news that ex-Sunderland defender Louis Laing is likely to be out for a number of weeks with a hamstring problem.

And with room in the budget freed up due to the departure of Padraig Amond to Newport County for an undisclosed fee, Harrison is keen to bring in at least two new defenders to his ranks.

The Pools boss already has a deal for Michael Ledger lined up, with the central defender likely to come in from the Sunderland Under-23 side on loan.

But he has recently underlined his desire to strengthen his backline, after his side failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their opening five National League fixtures.

McGhee, 21, is a player who is known to Harrison, and has recently been recommended to the manager from contacts north of the border.

He is also known to assistant Paul Jenkins, who had him last season at the Riverside in the Boro youth setup.

As a teenager the central defender, who can play anywhere across the back four, was scouted by Serie A giants Juve, as well as a host of English Premier League and Championship sides.

In January he was signed on loan by Boro, with view to a permanent £300,000 transfer.

But having failed to sufficiently impress there, he has been left in limbo this summer, especially with his route to the Jambos first-team blocked by the likes of former Ipswich Town defender Christophe Berra.

Were a deal to go through for McGhee it is likely to be a loan deal, similar to that of the Consett-born Ledger.

Harrison is also keen to add a striker in the next few days, with Motherwell’s Ryan Bowman at the top of his list of targets.